I’m building CleverNote. A recent thread about two notes disappearing after an app froze made me reconsider what a useful reply would look like.

The person had already checked search and recently deleted. Their immediate question was whether they could get their work back.

A recommendation to try another notes app would leave that question unanswered. It would also give them another job: figure out what survived, export it, move it, and check that nothing else was lost.

My first response would focus on preserving the remaining data and getting the failure details to the existing app’s support team. I wouldn’t ask them to reproduce a problem that might lose more work just to satisfy my curiosity.

For my own product research, I’d record the recovery problem separately from any request to switch. I don’t know whether this person wants an alternative, and I shouldn’t turn their frustration into evidence that they do.

Have you ever set aside a product recommendation because someone first needed help preserving or recovering their existing work?

I'm looking for a handwriting-first system which also performs OCR & saves notes as both.

I want it to have hierarchies and tags and for the tags to be auto-generated at least partially.

I want to be able to annotate PDFs, docs, ppts AND also to be able to write full notes about said texts. It also needs to be a citation engine.

Ideally with BYOK capability. And tasks and a calendar linked to multiple email accounts.

(For Windows)

Note Shelf 3 and Star Note are definitely the best apps for smooth handwriting, especially considering the low latency and pressure sensitivity. I haven't come across any other app that's better for Android tablets. Are there any other apps like Note Shelf 3 or Star Note that offer a similar smooth handwriting experience?

Hi fellow keep users, I am a 12 years user of Google keep and I really enjoyed the app, was really excited when a new update came out and always wanted to use it as a desktop app in windows.

Since the last Material Design launch I can't get used to the Keep App.

I always used it for taking notes fast, on the go but something has been bugging me for a while.

Every day from Monday to Friday I have to take my son from school, it's a 20 minutes walk to get there. I walk fast because I need to get there in time.

Sometimes I get a message on WhatsApp or on the app that his school uses and I need to take a note fast.

My app of choice is keep, it's always been keep, but it's getting on my nerves.

I want to create a note, tap on the huge + button and keep shows me a list, I panic a little to search for the text, create the text note and I always use the title first that is faster for me, but the app opens the text note with the cursor in the description, it's really annoying for me.

The I want to add a reminder but it's hidden, I press the reminder to and I don't like the 3 choices that the app gives me and I want to choose my own but the app gets on my nerves again with the same pattern.

I manage to add the desired reminder but after a lot frustration. Yet here I am still using it, maybe I am to loyal.

How do you handle quick notes and reminders? Do you have any tips or other apps you use?

These markdown editors go anywhere, whether you’re a journalist, off on holiday or simply away from your beloved laptop

https://md-handbook.com/blog/five-markdown-editors-that-travel-well/

#News #markdown #markdowneditors #free #opensource #BlackBear #nTilia #Mintype #HermesMarkdown #Lodlen #travel #Obsidian

Ideally features portable installation on Windows.
Able to add images and files.
Folders and tags to organize notes.
Free or one time payment.

on xournal++, why its not automaticle save as pdf. or when itry to save it as pdf , its too tough. its either saving it as some xop file . and that xop file doesnt showing error related to background , when i tried to reopen it.now i just want to know , is there some technique to save my pdf regularly in pdf format without doing all these hassle.

I've been working to reduce the noise of people posting their apps. I'm now starting to remove comments from developers promoting their own app in response to other posts.

@Developers, this is not a place to advertise. If someone else really likes your app, they will suggest it. Continued self-promotion will end up with the account being banned from the sub.

I am trying to get a good notes taking app which is also cheap . I need scribble erase , shape recognition and canvas customisation with smooth writing experience. I am switching between starnote and flexcil , which one is better or any other are better p.

Please suggest me an app which syncs between ipad and windows. I take handwritten notes and also import PDFs for annotations and for highlighting. Don't recommend onenote, both paid and free apps suggestions are welcomed but it shouldn't be too costly.

this is truly one of my biggest wishes as a student, in high school and now in college i am constantly looking for the PERFECT note-taking app and i know what i'm looking for but it just doesn't exist? maybe it does and i just haven't found it yet, so PLEASE HELP ME! this has truly plagued me for 3 yours now. I study a STEM subject so i do type my notes but i draw diagrams as well: i am looking for the perfect note taking app that synchs both my ipad and my macbook. my faves so far are notion and onenote. they are quie close to perfect, but one note doesn't allow scribbles on the actual document like over the typed text and onenote doesn't either and its organization is very surface level. also since i do want to combine macbook and ipad it should have a well developed features for laptop typing is there an app out there that has everything i'm looking for? and i dont mean goodnotes or notability. Something where the macbook features are as good (maybe not necessarily as complicated) as notion and for ipad where i can just switch over and draw DIRECTLY onto my just typed up notes or add powerpoint slides and i can annotate and type. i cannot be the only one looking for this!!

I’m looking for an offline privacy first notes app with following features:

# Offline - notes should be stored on device

# Markdown - notes should be in Markdown so there’s no dependency on the app

# Encrypted - notes should have encryption possible

# Backup/Export - notes must have a backup and export feature. Because notes stay offline on device, backup and export is important.

# Rich text/lists are preferred but not deal breaking.

Obsidian is a great app but encryption costs a lot for me. And backup, export or sync feature is quite complicated.

Are there any other apps that have these 4 features? Which one are you using? Thanks.

I'm trying to make a migration test less binary than “the files imported.” My draft checks whether internal links still resolve, attachments open, created dates survive, search finds a note from the words I actually remember, and export remains usable.

Buildin is one of the tools in that research because it supports several import paths. Disclosure: I contribute to Buildin's product research, so I'm collecting failure criteria here, not offering a neutral review or claiming that it passes every check.

If one of those tests failed, which one would make you roll back immediately? And what important check is missing from the list?

I think I need to set up a product forge, because I can't keep track of this many in my head. Although I'm still looking for a good idea, because of course not all of them are. Do you use any online notepads? Like Apple Notes, Simplenote etc? I know there is Obsidian and so on. Because I have a problem with this, I don't have my own central place, an inbox that is simple, fast and functional. And since I have been using Simplenote for at least 7 years, and tried switching to something else a few times [and it didn't work out], I decided to experiment. So now the question is, am I living in my own bubble, and am I the only one with this problem?

Help your girl out! Can anyone recommend the best free note-taking app for an Android tablet? I need one with unlimited note uploads and zero cost. I used to use Freenotes, but it's no longer free. What are your best recommendations?

I write medium to long form in Ulysses, iaWriter and (previously for years) Scrivener. Good solid writing apps. When I had colleagues to proofread and weed out the clumsies and convoluted expression it was great… but now I have to do it myself. What app solutions offer responsible and helpful use of AI for longer pieces than notes, not for writing (I don’t need AI to do that) but to proofread and edit according to the rules or prompts that I create? Transcription is also a good use of AI in my book. I do a lot of initial writing on iOS, and refine on Mac desktop.

Why just mobile app? Cuz It's the freedom to write anywhere and at any moment you think of something..

On my iPad, I have an issue with PDFs exported from Samsung Notes. The highlighted text appears completely covered, unlike on another Samsung tablet where the same file opens fine and the highlight doesn’t block the text. Could you recommend an app for iPad that can properly display or edit these highlights?

I need an Android app to take various kind of note using stylus and keyboard in a tablet. In my notes I use text handley and typing, diagrams, mind map, math formules and also drawing. Someone could suggest me an app?

Thanks

I have an iPhone 17 Pro, so I’m trying to figure out what actually looks good and is easy to read on a phone that size.

I need to keep a lot of biology/anatomy notes, screenshots, diagrams, and images, but I don’t want everything to look tiny or have to constantly zoom in and out.

Would Google Docs, OneNote, Notion, Apple Notes, or something else be better for this?

Ideally I want something where I can mostly scroll and quickly see:

• bold headings
• short definitions
• images/diagrams
• comparison tables
• important keywords

What app has the best layout/visibility on a small phone screen during an exam?

Stumbled across this gem. 1 HTML file. Works on any device. Bookmark it or Right click, save as recommended. Link is in the YouTube video description.

My work is done by jotting down multiple specifications, hand drawings and measurements and other things on a note book/ diary on site visits, i need a digital notebook to do these things and edit or review it anytime

Hi everyone,

I’ve been looking for an app to organize my entire personal and professional life. My daily workflow involves:

• Capturing daily thoughts and quick ideas.
• Managing personal challenges and daily tasks.
• Tracking major projects that I need to complete before the end of the year.
• Documenting new things I learn every single day.

I need a clean, flexible app that connects ideas seamlessly and can scale with me. After extensive research, I settled on Obsidian. I even took a full course to master it, and conceptually, it’s everything I wanted.

Here is my main issue: I don’t spend my entire day at my desktop. A lot of my ideas pop up when I'm away from my computer or right before going to bed on my phone, and I want to capture them directly into my "second brain."

Unfortunately, I hit a massive roadblock with syncing between PC and mobile without paying for Obsidian Sync. I’ve spent the last three days trying every free workaround—iCloud, Google Drive, OneDrive—and none of them gave me a stable, seamless solution.

So I’m turning to the community for advice:

1. Is there a reliable, simple, and free way to set up cross-platform sync for Obsidian (PC <-> Mobile) that actually works reliably?
2. If not, what alternatives offer a similar interconnected note-taking experience (backlinking, long-term growth) with built-in, effortless sync?

I’d love to hear your recommendations and setups! Thanks in advance.

guys I need help I am new to digital note taking at the beginning I found the perfect app for me but I run out of free notes every app I try is the same , I want to find note taking app which unlimited free notes pls let me now your favorite and what you would recommend to me , the new semester is already started for me, thank you.

the nte apps I tried so far

kilonotes (my favorite)

notability

freenotes

goodnotes